tRNA Splicing Endonuclease 15 (TSEN15)

tRNA splicing is a fundamental process required for cell growth and division. SEN15 is a subunit of the tRNA splicing endonuclease, which catalyzes the removal of introns, the first step in tRNA splicing .The deduced protein contains more than 197 amino acids. Northern blot analysis detected a 2.1-kb transcript in all tissues examined, with highest expression in testis and uterus.SEN15 contains 171 amino acids and shares a high degree of similarity with yeast Sen15. It had an apparent molecular mass of 18 kD by SDS-PAGE.This enzyme consists of SEN2, SEN34, SEN15, and SEN54, homologs of the yeast tRNA endonuclease subunits. Additionally, an alternatively spliced variant of SEN2 is part of a complex with unique RNA endonuclease activity.